News Disney Villains After Hours coming to the Magic Kingdom

[Kman101]

Oh believe me Sir I'm not excusing any of the complaints, I totally believe that folks feel that way, what I object to is the natural inclination to force those of us who still love the world to feel that way.

for example the trash complaint, totally understand it, but when we went, took pictures of a clean park, all day in almost every park. I got the dismissive "oh well you went during a slow period". lol, so it's not only that standards have dropped for you, it's that those who still go and don't see those things are not agreeing.

and truthfully all I can do is measure it against my "economic values". it is after all my sweat that gets my money.

The parks are hardly the mess some claim them to be in terms of trash, I speak as someone who sees them on a regular basis ... I could walk by a full trash can and you could walk by the same trash can just freshly emptied ...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

but I will and I have many other places. when they stop being of value I stop going. are you kidding me? I've told many a stories of specific places I haven't stepped into or given a dime of my money.

Heck, I don't return to restaurants if I get two bad meals. I refuse to give Jamaica a dollar of my money because of lousy trips.
Sorry I'm the queen of altering my spending patterns. can't pull that on me.

Lol...Jamaica sucks...didn’t you know??

But if I recall...you didn’t frequent Disney until fairly recently?? Do I remember that right?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The parks are hardly the mess some claim them to be in terms of trash, I speak as someone who sees them on a regular basis ... I could walk by a full trash can and you could walk by the same trash can just freshly emptied ...

Here I agree...they still do a pretty good job. But the standards have fallen - especially with employee quality - as the prices
Have risen

 

[jt04]

Nobody is forcing you or anyone else to feel that way. All I am trying to do is enlighten you to the problems. Those who choose to ignore them as aberrations are why Disney quality has progressively gotten worse over the past 15 years. I go every year and have seen the gradual decline first hand...and escalated under the arrival of Iger.

The more we ignore the problems as individuals, we lose what made us love the parks as a society.

Before Iger it was easy to find neglected facades, burnt out lights and few scrims because there was no preventative maintenance. Kevin Yee practically made a living off the situation.

The last decade has seen more infrastructure investments and large scale park investments than the Disney decade.

Your just wrong.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Before Iger it was easy to find neglected facades, burnt out lights and few scrims because there was no preventative maintenance. Kevin Yee practically made a living off the situation.

The last decade has seen more infrastructure investments and large scale park investments than the Disney decade.

Your just wrong.

He did NOTHING for the first 8 years...including closing or mothballing areas in Florida.

It’s like starting a fire and then wanting a medal for putting it out

 

[jt04]

He did NOTHING for the first 8 years...including closing or mothballing areas in Florida.

It’s like starting a fire and then wanting a medal for putting it out

He stopped the bleeding, fixed the wounds and developed a plan for a sustainable recovery. He inherited a scorched earth mess. Hence the need for the save Disney campaign. Which predates Iger as CEO.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

What's next? A Pirate and Princess Party........sad trombone

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

He stopped the bleeding, fixed the wounds and developed a plan for a sustainable recovery. He inherited a scorched earth mess. Hence the need for the save Disney campaign. Which predates Iger as CEO.

That is a complete distortion of the history and the circumstances....

I’m not saying he hasn’t been a good steward - on a lot of things...

But the record in Orlando is not his crowning achievements. Not even close.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Lol...Jamaica sucks...didn’t you know??

But if I recall...you didn’t frequent Disney until fairly recently?? Do I remember that right?

Absolutely. I do try to point that out, I don't have the background many of you guys have and i definitely don't have the park knowledge that many have, I am amazed at some of the background stuff folks know. Iger vs Eisner? Don't know. What Epcot use to be?? Don't care. That also makes it hard.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Absolutely. I do try to point that out, I don't have the background many of you guys have and i definitely don't have the park knowledge that many have, I am amazed at some of the background stuff folks know. Iger vs Eisner? Don't know. What Epcot use to be?? Don't care. That also makes it hard.

Well...it does make it hard to argue “perspective” when you didn’t see the “before” picture. My travel began in the 80’s and intensified in the latter 90’s. I also worked with ALOT of the old guard - now essentially gone - that spoke in great length about the decline in quality, morale, and integrity of the operation starting in the 90’s. A lot of that is about the workforce and the lack of funding to maintain the proper maintenance.

I consider you more of a “renaissance girl”...very cosmopolitan

 

[Brad Bishop]

Genuinely curious: for everyone complaining/musing that it’s not worth it, it’s too expensive, poor quality etc. when was your last trip? When is your next trip?

My last trip was 2017 because I received free tickets through work.

Before that, I think it was 2014 which was the last year I was a AP for quite a few years.

I'm a long-time Disney fan. I grew up and would constantly flip through books looking at the construction of WDW. I remember when we heard Space Mountain was coming. I took this fandom into my 20s and well into my 40s.

I remember thinking how great it was that I had an AP and could swing down (live in GA) whenever I liked to visit the parks.

I was the guy who'd typically do TS each nice and just have a nice meal either in the parks or at one of the resorts each day. I knew it was expensive but it was pretty good food and an experience.

Then, in the last few years of having an AP I noticed the quality decreasing and the price kept going up. I remember the last time I had a TS meal and I got paper napkins, a at best, mediocre meal, and a huge bill, and thinking, "Well, this is over." It went from being just expensive, but an experience, to feeling stupid for paying for it. The meal was the straw that broke the camel's back but it really wasn't that meal alone.

Again, that was 2014 and from reading what's been posted on this board since then, it's only gotten worse. Cabanas. Selling the park 3X/day. Monorails breaking down (and people just accept it as SOP now). Even those last few years I was going it seemed like the rides were breaking down more often than they really should. I remember my daughter and I walking off quite a few rides because they broke down over 2013 and 2014 and we really didn't experience that in the previous years.

Right now, again, this is from a long-time Disney fan, once in a while I think, "I guess I could go to WDW..," and usually, shortly after that I think, "Nah... I'll just find somewhere else to go. It'll be less expensive, less hassle, and probably a better experience."

 

[eliza61nyc]

Well...it does make it hard to argue “perspective” when you didn’t see the “before” picture. My travel began in the 80’s and intensified in the latter 90’s. I also worked with ALOT of the old guard - now essentially gone - that spoke in great length about the decline in quality, morale, and integrity of the operation starting in the 90’s. A lot of that is about the workforce and the lack of funding to maintain the proper maintenance.

I consider you more of a “renaissance girl”...very cosmopolitan

Lol, then we can never meet, with two bum knees and firmly in AARP-ville I'd blow that impression.
But actually I do fully understand that problem, it's a very common complaint across industries. I too work for a fortune 300 that now worries more about shareholders profits than research.
It will be an interesting future for WDW.
I do also think we have a different type of consumer now than 30 years ago.
How do you feel about the future of the world?? Do you think it will be as successful?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Lol, then we can never meet, with two bum knees and firmly in AARP-ville I'd blow that impression.
But actually I do fully understand that problem, it's a very common complaint across industries. I too work for a fortune 300 that now worries more about shareholders profits than research.
It will be an interesting future for WDW.
I do also think we have a different type of consumer now than 30 years ago.
How do you feel about the future of the world?? Do you think it will be as successful?

...I think climate change will fundamentally alter life on earth

 

[eliza61nyc]

...I think climate change will fundamentally alter life on earth

Sssh, no one can ever be know

 

[jt04]

That is a complete distortion of the history and the circumstances....

I’m not saying he hasn’t been a good steward - on a lot of things...

But the record in Orlando is not his crowning achievements. Not even close.

Acquisitions, Disney+, turning the film division into a global juggernaut (hat tip to Eisner for Pirates) Pandora and Galaxy's Edge are the crowning achievements. WDW is still a work in progress. But light years ahead of 10 years ago.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Acquisitions, Disney+, turning the film division into a global juggernaut (hat tip to Eisner for Pirates) Pandora and Galaxy's Edge are the crowning achievements. WDW is still a work in progress. But light years ahead of 10 years ago.

But that does cover what happened in the late eisner era nor excuse some of the tact taken that has diminished the parks in many ways. It’s scoring a goal to attempt to win a football game.

 

[Indy_UK]

Igor is the best businessman the company has had. He has put the company in great stead for after he has left. They've got 2 years to get Disney+ in a good place before he moves on.

I'm happy to give the WDC a few years for their steaming services to gather steam and movie box office to continue on its overtaking of the box office, now with Fox but I think then the focus needs to move back to the parks once we get back to 2022-2023

The new cruise ships will come online. Paris is getting its €2 billion expansion but the focus needs to move back to Orlando. They've got to be adding rooms which are not DVC and they HAVE to be thinking a 5th park.

 

[Joebradley62]

You know and I know that people will sacrifice as much as they can to make their children happy and give them what their parents never had growing up. So people who want to go to Disney will go into debt to take their families to Disney World. At the same time there are adults who just have to have Disney. They go no matter what the cost, but then they have to deal with that decision for quite some time.

The difference is they are not getting "luxury" hotels at the All-Star resorts. Even the "moderately" priced resorts are not really luxury hotels. The only luxury hotels are the Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian and for $600/night they better be luxury.
The "affordable" all-star resorts and pop century are just glorified motels dressed up to look nicer. Staying at those hotels is like putting lipstick on a pig.

And yes, regular people are being priced out. You wouldn't know this because you are one of the DVC members who spends a ridiculous amount for a time share.

But by all means please continue to not even consider my overall point and dismiss it as "woe is me"...

It's very easy for you to look down on the city and marvel at its beauty without walking on the streets where all of the flaws exist.

DVC was easily the best vacation decision I ever made. I have easily recouped my initial investment as well as maintenance fees. I had vacations for 1 week that would have cost me my entire outlay for the room at rack rate at Grand Floridian. I have also "swapped" for vacations elsewhere and got a fabulous suite at a rate that nobody but DVC gets due to the premium my DVC vacation points gets in swapping. People need to make the decisions that are best for them. Going into debt for a vacation is probably not a smart decision but hey I am not living their life and they are not living mine. To each his own as they say. As a child my family could not afford a trip to Orlando to go to the brand new Magic Kingdom park. We couldn't afford the $29 rooms at Contemporary, or the tickets to the park or rides so we didn't get to go. It is a personal decision for everyone. It is expensive and will not get cheaper. Even at the current point price, if your future includes plenty of vacations and to Disney, DVC is still a bargain as well as annual passes.

 

[Kman101]

Here I agree...they still do a pretty good job. But the standards have fallen - especially with employee quality - as the prices
Have risen

Just getting back to replying to this. I agree on the fallen standards and employee quality. For the price paid to get in, there are still a lot of improvements to be made. All anyone needs to do is fly to Tokyo and see how parks should be run ... "pixie dusters" have been shook going there and realizing WDW doesn't hold a candle to the service provided there. I haven't even been there and it's clearly better run on a daily basis. Even just from videos, castmembers are waving and happy and engaging, guests are laughing and happy, characters everywhere, it looks like you could literally eat off the ground and everything looks brand new like it just opened ...

 

[Kman101]

Igor is the best businessman the company has had. He has put the company in great stead for after he has left. They've got 2 years to get Disney+ in a good place before he moves on.

I'm happy to give the WDC a few years for their steaming services to gather steam and movie box office to continue on its overtaking of the box office, now with Fox but I think then the focus needs to move back to the parks once we get back to 2022-2023

The new cruise ships will come online. Paris is getting its €2 billion expansion but the focus needs to move back to Orlando. They've got to be adding rooms which are not DVC and they HAVE to be thinking a 5th park.

I don't understand the desire for a 5th park some people have. It's not going to fix the problems we have. The other parks have to be 'up to par' before they even get to thinking about a 5th park. Otherwise we'll have an underdeveloped park, like MGM and AK were and have been. Maybe if they had spent the last two decades expanding and expanding instead of just replacing we'd be in a different place where a 5th gate makes more sense. It makes NO sense, even 5 years from now. The other parks still have a long way to go.